Entwicklung des Kopfschutzes fuer den Feuerwehrmann

The “Brown Colony” as the Nazis were known, rolled over nearly all Germans on 30 th January 1933.
The Fire Service was also affected by their “growls” (the noise they made when marching down the
streets or during assemblies). The Prussian Home Office issued a decree on 6 th February 1934 in which
it was stipulated that the all fire brigades in Germany were to have identical uniforms and at this point
of time chromium/nickel steel helms with new silver crest were introduced. For the first time in history
the voluntary Fire Brigade in Tuttlingen has a uniformed appearance.
The National Socialists (Nazis) issued many decrees during their rule. For example, from 2 nd July 1940
the Chief of Police gave out an order that all helm crests were to be handed over as the aircraft industry
needed the material as metal was becoming rare.
The volunteers of the Tuttlingen Fire Brigade were issued with the M 34 helms which had a very simple
shape. In these they carried on through the thunder of cannons and the growling “Volksempfänger”
(simple radios of the time) until the bitter end!
On Tuesday the 1 st . May 1945 at 10.30 pm there was a drum roll on the radio and the news came through
that the “Führer” had been killed and shortly afterwards the music from Richard Wagner -The Twilight
of the Gods (Götterdämmerung from the Ring of the Nibelungen myth) was played. The moment of
truth had come for the Germans and Germany and the allied forces were in occupation.
The uniforms in Tuttlingen did not change apart from the fact that the insignia for rank and sovereignty
had to be removed. The helms were still used and it was not until the end of the 1970’s that new helms
were introduced with tested fluorescent colours (DIN 14940).
These helms are still in use in Tuttlingen and step for step they are being replaced by hard plastic helms.
The form and shape stays the same however as, during the last 70 years, this has proved itself to be very
good.
There are sceptics who see the shape of the helm as a ideological obstacle (they see a “Nazi helm”,
which of course it is not!). I would suggest that these people should take a nearer look at the historical
development.
The German steel helm was developed by our ancestors (Marx, Schwerd, Bier and Feldmann) and was
shaped like that to prevent head injuries and for this reason my Tuttlingen Fire Brigade comrades understand
the historical and practical significance of our helms.
Mankind need its history and will always find its way back to it – particularly if its about head
protection for members of a fire brigade!
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